Kirby Hall and Lyveden New Bield

I was out mucking about with lenses today but for the black and white pics I was using an old friend the Panasonic GF1 with the 20mm f1.7 lens.

Of course the weather could have been kinder, it was just dull and grey.

First stop was English Heritage's Kirby Hall. The Hall is Elizabethan and today it is a semi ruin with some rooms roofless.

So next stop the National Trust's Lyvden New Bield. This looks like it is a ruin but isn't. It was built, as a lodge, for Sir Thomas Tresham who died in 1605 before its completion. His son was implicated in the gun powder plot and the lodge was left as it.

It is fascinating to visit as you can see the outlines of the Elizabethan garden. I will freely admit however that my reasons for the visit were to visit its newly opened tearoom. I had the Roast Carrot soup which was delicious (and was sat by a real fire, bliss!).

Of course we had to pop back to the tearoom

and shared a piece of Victoria Sponge and Apple and Cinnamon cake..... it was lovely. The tearoom is up there as one of the best in the Trust. I will be revisiting because the cream and savoury tea's sound rather good..